1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to flywheels. More particularly, it pertains to a magnetically borne, position-stabilizable flywheel with a large radial dimension relative to the axial dimension.
2. Description of the Prior Art
De 32 43 641 A1 discloses a magnetically borne position-stabilizable flywheel with a large radial dimension relative to the axial dimension. A force generation system is provided for the rotary drive of the flywheel that operates in accordance with the electrodynamic principle. The rotor has a gap at the underside of the wheel into which the motor winding, which is secured to a stator, penetrates for the motor drive. Additional force generation systems are provided for axial and radial displacement of the axis of rotation of the wheel as well as for the generation of tilting moments. The force generation systems are coupled to appropriate sensors via a regulating system, so that position stabilization is possible with a total of five degrees of freedom. U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,402 discloses a flywheel that is radially driveable by means of a force generation system at the outer periphery of the rotor in accordance with the electrodynamic principle. For generating tilting moments, force generation systems in accordance with the electrodynamic principle are provided at the outer periphery of the flywheel. To this end, at the outer periphery of the rotor an annular groove is provided that receives two permanent magnets disposed one above the other and oppositely magnetized. Four coils penetrate into this annular groove and are secured to the stator and traversed by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet. The directions of the currents in these four coils are switchable to generate tilting moments and axial forces.
DE 31 50 122 A1 describes an electromagnetically borne flywheel that includes two radial and one axial electromagnetic bearing. Sensors which detect the axial and radial position of the rotor are disposed in the immediate vicinity of the bearings and deliver signals to a regulating device that delivers corresponding actuating signals to the magnet coils of the bearings. A motor is provided which is disposed outside the electromagnetic bearing.
DE 28 42 205 A1 describes a flywheel which has a mixed electromagnet-permanent magnet-electrodynamic bearing. In this case, the bearing device has actively regulated stabilization only in the radial direction. The axial direction and the space axes have a sufficiently stiff stabilization due to the design of the magnetic bearing device.
EP 0 049 300 A1 describes an electromagnetically borne flywheel, the hub of which is designed as a disk-shaped hollow body.